Out of interest, have any Forumistas taken part in one...or are about to? And have any been cancelled at short notice?
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Our choir put on two concerts (9th and 11th), one in Cambridge, one in a nearby village. The Cambridge one had a relatively low attendance, and about a third of those who had bought tickets in advance didn't turn up. The village one however was a sell-out, and we had a much bigger audience than usual for our village concerts. Make of that what you will.
At church we are having a very scaled-back Christmas. We'd normally have one or two community carol concerts in the church, and also be singing at the local lights switch-on, but none of those are happening. We made the decision back in October, I think - the view was taken that given the church is normally full, the likely attendance would exceed what we can fit in with social distancing, and we didn't want to have to turn people away. -
The choir I sing with had its Christmas concert in a local church last Saturday, 2 years almost to the day since our last concert. We had no idea if there would be an audience, but in the end there was and it outnumbered the choir - due to the choir being well under 50% strength numbers wise it has to be said but no matter.Originally posted by ardcarp View Post
This Saturday was outside carol singing for a town centre event. We were fortunate with our choice of dates, but obviously what happens in January( I don't see how rehearsals can resume then) and therefore with the spring concert is a great unknown.
I had intended to go to an early evening carol service today, but decided against it in the end - not least as I only had my booster Saturday morning.Comment
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Out of 5 with 3 different choirs/groups I have sung in 3. 1 was cancelled and I had to pull out of one because of a heavy cold ( not a good idea for me or fair those around me to have attended). The big ‘Harmony Choir’ sing on Christmas Eve in Falmouth has been cancelled as 200 or so singers plus the supporters could not be made Covid safe even before Omicron! This leaves a village nativity mid-week and a Christmas Eve afternoon carol sing in the local church.Originally posted by ardcarp View PostComment
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Three, all very well attended. One more Christmas Eve. No cancellations so far....Originally posted by ardcarp View PostComment
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The cathedral choir sang its Christmas concert on Saturday to a packed cathedral. (The Kathmandu afterwards was also packed.)
Today the boy choristers and back row are singing carols at the Tresanton (ex-Methodist) chapel in St Mawes, which is sold out. Then the two Nine Lessons & Carols Festivals take place as usual on 23/24 Dec. Demand is high this time after cancellations last year. The choir’s new CD of contemporary carols has just been Classic FM’s ‘CD of the Weekend’.
I hear that Trinity College’s Christmas Oratorio at St John’s Smith Square is cancelled due to the isolation of choir members.Comment
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Yes, on in local parish church up in dales.
"Interesting' organ accompaniment that threw not only choir but congregation too. Erm.......organist apparently unaware of the seismics!!Comment
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Talking of organistic (orgiastic?
) seismics, the following happened to us only yesterday. On Saturday night we two were contacted by a semi-pro vocal quintet which had been detailed to perform a carol service (for service read 'concert') at a most extraordinary small church, one of two in the UK which has an archpriest and which contains a very rare 'heart burial' beneath a monument inside. Two of the quintet, at short notice, tested Covid-positive so we (a sop and tenor) stood in...and I mean 'stood'; the rehearsal - mercifully short - and the service - far too long - being al fresco outside the West door. Another last minute Covid decision. The large audience stood, suitably distanced, huddled in groups in the field adjoining. Needless to say all concerned were thoroughly shrammed (dialect word, Southern UK) by the end of it. Oh the organ bit. I forgot. The local organist was miffed at being left out of proceedings (as all the choir items were mercifully a capella...as well as being ex-capella) and so insisted on playing the usual congregational carols, not only very badly, but also totally out of earshot of the congregation and not necessarily with the right number of verses. We, unfortunately, were close enough to get his drift which, by an effort of dogged concentration, managed to ignore.
It was only 5 mugs of Cocoa in our van afterwards which enebled 'the choir' to wend homewards in a state of consciousness.
Two more 'bumping up' services to go...hopefully warmer and with better acoustics!Comment
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Nine Lessons & Carols went ahead at our local CofE on Sun eve. Congregation of approx 50 masked throughout -- fortunately with enough room for those so inclined to distance themselves from their near neighbours. Choir of 10, including Mr & Mrs M, masked except when singing. All had returned negative LFTs that morning. West door left ajar to provide a modicum of ventilation. After last year's cancellations the boost to mental positivity among those present was palpable.Comment
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Dear all, having read this thread I thought that I would alert members to a free concert from Windsor that we have just posted online. Usually, we would host a similar 'live' event each year with a mix of sacred and secular seasonal music. Like many, we decided that this was a risky venture this year but wanted to thank those who have supported us in the past. It may be of value to some; there is, for instance, an excellent arrangement of Twelve Days by Keith Roberts which deserves to be better know. A merry Christmas to you all! James Vivian.
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Many thanks for this James, I thoroughly enjoyed the whole programme. Thank you for sharing it with us. Excellent sound and visuals added to the experience. Merry Christmas to you and your musicians.Originally posted by James Vivian View Post
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Much appreciated, James. Welcome to the forum.Comment
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Excellent, thanks for this - the Twelve Days was indeed impressive, but the whole programme (music and readings) made for an interesting and enjoyable sequence I thought. And it was good to see your organ scholar (whom I know from my local church) hovering in the background, making himself useful!Originally posted by James Vivian View PostComment
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Next time I hear or have to sing 'no crying he makes' or 'veiled in flesh the Godhead see' I will start screaming. I try and take it all in the spirit of the season, but there is a limit!Comment
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Only sung the once this year - all other concerts cancelled and I'm not in a church choir these days. (Possibly Christmas morning in the congregation at Church). I can see it grates if one has to direct or sing a lot of concerts, but if a professional that's part of the job. (I would mention here, in similar vein "Three Vicars Talking" - Christmas https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/m000cl3r )
I'm not that fussed about the text that I sing - as long as its legal - having sung a fair variety between, say the Stabat Mater and text from the speeches of Lenin and Stalin (also I suspect, the Communist Manifesto...in Russian, so somehow it doesn't count, even if it exhorted the masses to rise up - which wasn't going to happen in the R Festival Hall!).Comment
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